Basic Archery [Celeste|Private]

[Aesha]

Timestamp Mid-Immanis, Era I of the Celestine Mandate, Era X Post Fractum.

On this occasion, Janice had dropped Celeste off outside an nearby, non-descript house in Dan's Domicilium. It was odd. The place looked practically run-down, anyone would have a hard time living there. However, Janice nodded enthusiastically at her half-elf charge before heading back to the Aedile's office.

Build of stone, the house was tiny, probably only housing one or too rooms. The start of weeds could be seen growing into between the large, rough bricks the place had been built out of. The front door was closed, but it looked like touching it in any way might just help it to fall off its hinges.

It was a very quiet part of the neighbourhood, and only a couple of people walked past Celeste as she stood in front of the house of her archery trainer. It wasn't certain that anyone was home, but there was only one way to find out...

[Celeste Cian]

Celeste smiled back at Janice; she felt immensely grateful that she had such a nice woman to be her guide . . . and a bit guilty for being such a burden on her. The elven secretary must certainly be very busy with all the work in the Aedile's Office and here Celeste was dragging her around all over the place. "See you tonight!" she waved at the departing woman.

She turned to look at the house apprehensively. It was so quiet; she could practically hear her own heartbeat. Walking up to the rundown house hesitatedly, she reached up a hand to knock before pulling it away and appraising the dilapidated door dubiously. Please don't fall down, she hoped desperately, that certainly wouldn't be the best way to meet her archery trainer.

A sudden scenario flashed through her mind involving herself gaping like an idiot, the door on the floor in a cloud of dust, and her trainer cursing angrily in his or her sleepwear. She stifled her groan and wiped her clammy hands on her dress before reaching up to tap on the door gingerly.

[Aesha]

Amazingly enough the wooden door still stayed intact and upright as Celeste reached out and tapped on the unvarnished surface. The sound of footsteps could be heard from the interior of the house and after a moments pause the door swung open, creaking alarmingly on the slightly rusted hinges.

A human man appeared in the entranceway as the door opened, his looks declaring him to probably be in his mid twenties. His hair was a sandy blonde colour, long and tied back in a slick ponytail to hold it out of the way. His eyes were emerald green and blinked a little in the sunlight as he stared at Celeste, trying to think why this oretty half-elven girl was standing on his doorstep.

His clothes were simple and plain, dark coloured breeches and an undied linen shirt, slightly creased and unlaced at the neck. He smiled warmly at Celeste, hospitable even though he didn't know who she was. "Serale! Can I help you with something?"

[Celeste Cian]

Celeste was a bit flustered and nodded at the handsome blonde man. He had beautiful green eyes, much like her own, and he was dressed neatly in a form unlike the state of his house. It appeared that he didn't know what she was here for.

She bit her lip and smiled timidly, "Serale, sir. My name is Celeste Cian. Um, Janice from the Aedile's Office sent me here . . . I have a voucher for discount training in archery." She pulled out the piece of paper from her bag and held it out to the man.

She asked hesitatedly, "Are you a trainer?"

[Aesha]

"Oh, yes... training." He smiled a dazzling smile at Celeste before gently taking the voucher from her hand and checking it to make sure it was real. Grinning and pocketing the voucher, he said, "Well, I believe that's 80 crowns you owe me then."

The young human man invited Celeste into the house without any hurry to obtain the money. Despite appearences from the outside of the structure, the place was actually in not to bad condition. It was however, bare and sparsely furnished. In the single room the house contained lay a bed, a few cooking utensils and a wooden chest for storing clothes. On the bed lay a quiver half-full of arrows. The wood in the fireplace looked old and ashy, and didn't appear to have been lit for some time.

"Serale, Celeste." Said the man, finally getting into a proper conversation. "My name is Tynaden Glass, but most people called me Ty for short."

"One thing I need before we start. Oh, apart from the fee of course. I need to know your bow of preference? Longbow, Shortbow?"

[Celeste Cian]

Celeste was nearly blinded by her trainer's smile. She automatically grinned back. The man was too handsome for his own good.

She looked away quickly. When she heard about payment, she started to reach for her bag. By the time she looked up triumphantly with the money in hand, he had went inside the house. She hurried in after him, her hand still clutching the crowns.

Once inside, she smiled in relief. Her trainer wasn't a complete slob after all. Although the room was practically empty, everything was still placed neatly. Her eyes immediately locked onto the quiver of arrows. So this is the right place after all . . .she thought to herself.

He drew her attention again when he introduced himself. "Serale, uh, Ty." She liked his name; it seemed to suit the man quite nicely.

When he asked her about her preference of bow, she stared at him. Then she blinked. Slowly. I have no idea what he's saying . . . aren't all bows the same? Boy, this sure shows how competent I am. "Errr . . . I have your fee!" She handed him the 80 crowns in an attempt to stall for more time.

She chewed on her bottom lip. Well . . . isn't long always better? Unless, short means lighter and smaller . . . She finally nodded slowly, "Longbow . . . yes, longbows." She hoped she sounded confident in her choice. She did hear something once about how longbows had a wider range as opposed to shortbows . . . that should be good, shouldn't it?

OOC: Thanks for responding so quickly! You're really good at being an AGM . . . very versatile hehe . . . btw, for my "gardening clothes", can I just say that they were my stored garb or do I need to go buy them?

[Aesha]

OOC: Thanks! I think it's safe to assume you've got some old clothes lying around somewhere that can be used for gardening. Of course, you can go and buy them if you really want to

IC: "Thank you" said Ty kindly as Celeste handed over the eighty crown fee. He left both the money and the voucher on top of the wooden storing chest for later deposition in his bank account. Counting the money briefly he nodded at Celeste just to confirm that she'd given him the right money.

"So... you're instant preference was longbow." Sitting himself on the edge of the chest he looked around for something the half-elf could sit on then looked at her in an apologetic manner when he realised there wasn't anything. "Well, move the quiver and you can sit on the bed. Sorry, I don't really spend much time in here."

Shifting slightly on the hard wooden surface, he continued, "Anyway, I'm assuming you've never used a bow before, so I'll start you off with something like a straight short bow to get you used to the basics. Then we'll move on to various others and you can see what sort of bow you prefer to use."

Giving Celeste another dazzling smile, he finished, "So! Feel ready to start? Unless you have any questions first?"

[Celeste Cian]

OOC: Okay, I'll just say it's stored garb . . . thanks!

IC: Celeste went over to the bed and awkwardly moved the quiver aside. She was afraid she would accidentally mess something up . . . even though she wasn't quite sure how one would go about in messing up a case of arrows . . . huh. She sat down gingerly and gave a small smile.

As Ty explained his strategy, Celeste immediately felt relieved. That did seemed like the best plan so far and she quickly nodded in agreement. "That sounds great."

She licked her lips nervously and tucked her hair behind one ear. Nodding in what she hoped to be a firm way, she replied, "Um, yes, I think I'm ready to start."

[Aesha]

"Okay!" Ty sounded pleased that Celeste was so willing to start. "Now, obviously it would be silly to train you in here...." He gestured to the small room. "So, I'll just lead you outside."

Walking over to the bed, he picked up the small quiver of arrows and held his hand out to the half-elven girl, offering to help her up off the piece of furniture. Regardless of whether she accepted or declined, Ty walked over to the back wall of the house, and Celeste noted that a door had been fixed into the wall, exactly opposite the main door she had come through not to long ago.

Pushing the door aside, Ty lead Celeste outside to a large, green area. It was obvious why the house was so small now - Ty had saved on the interior space to get an archery range of a garden. The green grass had been clipped short and makeshift targets had been set up at one end. Near Celeste stood racks of quivers containing various different arrows, and at least seven different bows stood beside them.

Ty deposited the quiver he was carrying next to the others, and without a moments pause selected a bow from the rack. Taking a moment to check the tension of the string, and the frame, he nodded and handed the weapon to Celeste.

"This is what's called a straight short bow." Ty explained. "It's a good bow to start with. A short bow is used for short distances, and the straight version is a little easier to use, so it's a good beginner's bow. The very first thing I want you to do, is show me how you think you should hold it. You can draw the string back if you want, but no arrows will be used yet."

The bow in question totalled about 2-3 feet in length, and was made of yew. It didn't seem new, but looked pretty solid all the same.

[Celeste Cian]

Celeste took Ty's hand and pulled herself up from the bed. She hurried after him and smiled appreciatively as they went out of the house into a large green area. So that's why he chose to keep his house so small . . . the man must really be dedicated to archery . . . It seemed like Ty had spent most of his time and money here with all the carefully positioned equipment.

Celeste took the bow from Ty and held it gingerly. It wasn't exactly sparkling new but it seemed sturdy and felt comfortable in her grip. I guess starting out with an old bow should be better than beginning with a new one . . . makes me feel a bit easier if I accidentally break it . . . not that I want to break it, of course . . .

She paled slightly when her trainer asked her to demonstrate how to hold a bow in her opinion. "Um, o - okay . . ."

She tried to relax and furrowed her eyebrows in concentration. She believed that a person shouldn't stand stiffly while shooting an arrow so she decided to spread her feet slightly apart. She licked her lips nervously as she lifted up the bow until her arms were parallel to her viewpoint. She sent a look askance at her trainer to see what he might be thinking but the man seemed to be content with impassively watching her . . . for now.

She clasped the notch end of the bow with her left hand and wrapped the fingers of her right hand around the sting. Then, she decided to loosen her grip slightly. Then, she tightened it. Finally she blew a strand of hair out of her face in frustration and settled on clutching the wooden end firmly and pressing the taut string between her fingertips and thumb.

She sighed inwardly. I hope I'm not butchering the art of archery too much . . . She held her breath in anticipation for Ty's corrections.

[Aesha]

Ty stood and watched Celeste as she tried to hold the bow correctly. His green eyes watched the half-elves every movement with care. He tapped his fingers against his chin in a thoughtful manner and after a moment's thought after Celeste had finished her preparations, he nodded.

"Hmmm, not a bad stance. Good for a beginner. Of course, once you're really proficient with using a bow, you can use it running, crouching, or on horseback. Though it depends what sort of bow you're using. Let's see..."

He regarded Celeste some more. "Okay, when you pull the string, you want your thumb and fingers to just brush the top of your cheek. This is so you can aim the bow accurately. Generally, your left arm wants to be stretched at full length to gain the maximum amount of tension on the string. Now, you always want to have your feet parrellel with the target your aiming for, but since we're not aiming at anything at the moment, that doesn't matter right now."

Looking around, Ty pointed to a round, red painted target about ten metres away. "Okay, try aiming at that, making any adjustments to your stance that I just told you about."

He smiled. "You're doing pretty well."

[Celeste Cian]

Celeste's cheeks turned slightly pink at Ty's words. He's probably just being nice . . . but still . . . a white lie is better than nothing . . . or so my ego says . . .

She examined the red target carefully and took a deep breath. Trying to keep Ty's instructions in mind, she adjusted her stance accordingly in what she hoped was the right way. Feet must be parallel with target . . . She turned her body slightly to the right and positioned her feet heedfully. Her hands felt clammy as she lifted the bow and she quickly tightened her hands to get a better grip. Left arm must be stretched . . . maximum tension . . . She murmured Ty's words in her head as she lifted up her arms and straightened her left arm toward the target.

She squinted slightly at the red circle to make sure the bow was more or less facing it. She grabbed the string with her right hand and pulled until she felt her thumb and the edges of her fingers brush lightly against her cheek. By this time, the string was stretched taut and after a few moments, her arm ached slightly at having to pull back the string for so long. She wondered if she should let go of her "imaginary arrow" or if she should continue to stand here like an imitation of the statue of Lynsa Farn.

[Aesha]

"Okay, good." said Ty's voice once Celeste had been standing in position for a few moments. "You'll find your arms will probably ache alot to start with, until you get use to pulling the bow string. On a straight short bow, well... that's a pull weight of about eighty to ninety pounds, generally. It's often a good idea to build up your upper body strength a little."

Gently taking the bow out of Celeste's hands, he selected an arrow suitable for a short bow. "Next, I'll show you how to load a bow. Make sure the bow is always parellel with the ground when loading an arrow."

He demonstrated, hold the bow and turning it ninety degrees until the wooden weapon faced the green grass below. "Right, now first, nock the arrow on the bow string, between the feathers." He paused again, doing as he had instructed and placed the wooden arrow against the string."Next, pull the string back so the arrow can be placed correctly. There's a groove on the frame specifically for the shaft to sit in."

Ty pulled back the bow string, and slowly eased the arrow into the groove on the bow's handle, going slow so Celeste could see the process. Now, you should position one finger on either side of the arrow at the groove in the wood, and the same with the string. However, your grip on the string shouldn't be tight. Try to use the tips of you fingers in a more gentle manner."

Finishing up, Ty lifted the bow until it was upright again and facing the target. "It takes a while to get used to, but eventually you'll be able to reload in a matter of seconds."

Smiling, he handed the weapon back to Celeste. "Now you try."

[Celeste Cian]

Eighty to ninety pounds?? Celeste gaped incredulously. That's more than half what I weigh! She was relieved when Ty reached out to take the bow from her. She shook her arms slightly in an attempt to ease the ache. It didn't work.

She watched Ty carefully as he demonstrated how to load an arrow. She was thankful that he went at a slow pace; she knew it was for her benefit and she immensely grateful for it. Sure, it might 'appear' easy when Ty was doing it . . . but she knew she had a high chance of botching it up anyway.

She took the bow back hesitatedly and chewed on her lip slightly as she tried to imitate what her trainer had done. She turned the weapon so that it was parallel to the ground and then . . . oh yeah, she had to take up the arrow and nock it on the string . . . between the feathers. She fumbled with it slightly and nearly dropped the whole thing. She blushed slightly and tightened her grip before moving onto the next step.

She pulled the string back gingerly with her fingertips until she could slip the arrow shaft against the groove on the bow's handle. She cautiously made sure the arrow was properly in place before positioning her fingers on its sides. She slowly brought the bow upright into the position she was before and once again painstakingly aimed for the target.

Her arms were aching again and she felt a bit . . . slow. It seemed to have taken her forever to complete this step and she wasn't even sure if she had done everything perfectly right. Hoping Ty hadn't fallen asleep during her little procedure, she nervously darted her eyes at him askance for appraisal.

[Aesha]

Ty certainly hadn't fallen asleep, watching everything his student did scrutinously. He seemed to be interested in every little move Celeste made, ready to correct and help the half-elf in the event that she did anything wrong. He actually bent down slightly so he was level with the bow Celeste was trying to load. However, he didn't have anything to say about the way his student was handling it, just nodded occasionally to inform her she was on the right track.

Once the bow was loaded and upright Ty gave Celeste a quick nod, understanding that her arms would start to ached quickly after pulling the string taut again. "Good, now quick, I know your arms will ache... I want you to just try and fire the arrow at the target. It doesn't matter if you hit or not, it's more important to actually get the arrow to go a distance."